Marina Pantouria’s book, gifted to me by her daughter Elena, is based on Katsuzō Nishi Health System. I had never heard about this but I started studying the book and then searching in the internet . I found so many information and yes I was impressed like the first time I heard about the Pilates System. So I am sharing this with you.
Katsuzō Nishi(1884 – 1959) was the Japanese founder of Nishi Shiki in 1927, who was at that time the chief technical engineer for Japan’s first subway project, the Tokyo subway.
Nishi Shiki (Nishi Health System) consists of health exercises purported to activate certain bodily functions. It was founded in 1927 by Katsuzō Nishi.
Because Katsuzō Nishi was also an aikido teacher at Aikikai Hombu Dojo, many aikidoka were introduced to the Nishi Health System, resulting in the incorporation of certain exercises, like the fish exercise (kingyo undō), into aikido and the way aikidoka took care of their health.
The organization around this system is called Nishikai, which helped Koichi Tohei in starting up aikido in Hawaii, which has members of Nishi-kai on all of its islands.
According Katsuzō Nishi’s opinion health depends on four equally important factors:
• The skin condition
• The food quality
• The status of the limbs
• The psychological state
Six laws of the Nishi Health System
1.Heisho
2.Kochin-When you sleep, Use the hardest possible bed and hard semi cylindrical pillow
3.Kingyo Undo- Swing your hips horizontally like fish swimming about 1min
4.Mokan Undo –Lie on your back and rise your arms and legs, then shake your arms and legs about 1min
5.Gassyo-Gasseki- Lie on your back and join your hands and feet. Then slide your hands and feet horizontally about 10 times. When finish, rest with your hands and feet drawn in about 2min
6.Hifuku Undo- Sit down Japanese style and swing your upper body centering on your hips about 10 min. When you are incline position, pump your abdomen.When you are upright position, shrink your abdomen.
Varvara Solomonidou,Wellness Specialist, Personal Trainer, Seminar & Conference Lecturer, Pilates Master Trainer “AthensTrainers® Ultimate Pilates System®”, General Manager & Owner of AthensTrainers®
From Pantouria Marias book “Health without drugs”
(In case you are interested in the book contact us or email to dimitrisp20@yahoo.gr)
nishikai.net